Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-15

HARD BOATING AND ROUGH SLEEPING.
And now we pass the reach of tide
water, and the river grows shallow. Oars
are laid aside and hour after hour our
men, clad only in wide grass hats and
cloth about the body (some do not have
even this, walk, tramp, tramp, tramp,
silent sometimes, and sometimes with
"hoo, hoo, hoo" along the broad gunwale
of the boat, thrusting their long
poles against the bottom of the river and
pushing us up the rapid stream. During
all the midday hours little occurs to re-
lieve the still, oppressive monotony and
the mighty down-pour of the sun. Here
and there we pass few fruit-laden orange
trees or banana patch, and there often
falls upon Us from somewhere sad wall
as of small muffled bell it is the spa
iema the tropic dove.
At night we tie to the shore, and every
body, men, women and children, get ashore
as fast as possible to stretch their cramped
limbs run about On the grass and in the
woods, build fires to cook little food, and
by and by to fall asleep in groups and
catch their first installment of Panama
fever" Till day breaks no sound is heard
but the occasional howl of wakeful dog
or the singular scream of the puma or
tropic panther.
By an hour after sunrise all are packed
in the boats again, and yesterdays story is
gone over again, YEARLY, most YEARLY.
But on the next day all is excitement, we
are approaching Cruces, and every boat is
trying for the first landing. At last cry
from the forward boat, and all the others
take it up, Cruces, Cruces" What univer-
sal JOY, and yet how little occasion, save
that fewer days of suffering remain.
MULE-RIDING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
Now comes the struggle for mules
There are too few to supply all, and some,
compelled TO walk, curse their luck, not
knowing that they are the really fortunate
ones provided they are well and strong).
/ chose to 60 on foot, both for ease and lib
erty, and also to be able to care for help
less ones. Side-saddles are unknown, and
women must ride as they can. Children
are packed on the backs of men land so
with fragile freight. But the pack
mules are sight to see. Little crea-
lures four feet high, or less, with
two hundred pound cases strapped
on their sides or with baggage
piled on them three or four feet high, till
one wonders where the mule is. But they
are sagacious, and, though vicious, trust
worthy.
Band after band start out into the Wild
luxuriant forest, and soon Cruces seems
utterly forsaken by all life. On we troop,
trying to pass each other, but unable TO
excite the least racing-fever in our mules.
For time all goes smoothly and all are
$50 glad to have left those horrid boats"
when suddenly, ''slosh, slosh," We plunge
into sea of mud. In vain feet and gar
ments are held up, we are sloshed and
plastered from head to foot, till it is hard
to recognize brother, or wife. Cursing
and laughter mingle, and the mules care
for neither. This experience is often re-
peated through the day, varied with pas
defles. All have been cautioned against
drinking the lsthumus water, and one tall
lady who had taken too much claret, falls
her whole length in deep mud. pull
her out, but cannot get her on her mule
again, till have lightened her very much
by scraping her with a stick. Yet through
all the peril of mud and precipices, my
wife, who drank the Isthmus water, rode
safel y with her saddle girth because of
careless ''cinching'), not touching the
belly of the mule
AN INTERESTING SITUATION.
And now we reach dark deiIe, when
suddenly a long drawn "hoo" comes from
somewhere. Every mule stops instantly,
and no curses or blows can move them.
They know more than their riders. We
wait and wait, and by and by there
emerges laden mule, and another, and
long train. Had we not met them in the
defile, passage would have been impossible
Our turn comes. Our warning "hoo" is
unanswered, and in we go. The footway
is worn by feet Of mules into regular holes,
two or three feet deep, and into these each
mule sets his feet with precision. In
passing we shudder to think what must
have happened had we met a train like
ours; and we bless our sagacious mules for
regarding that warning cry.
Night comes on, we leave our mules
and all who can creep into bamboo huts,
scattered all along the wood route glad to
and sleep on beds of sticks paying well
lpI ALL. willie VIC ONucIe QlSstpptdT dllu
are seen no more till morning.
ON THE PACIFIC-REACHING THE GOLDEN
GATE.
At last Panama looms in the distance,
and another anxiety rises, "Will the wait
ing steamer have room for US all % She
has not, and some of these wives and chill
dren, with more of the men, will be sleep
ing in yonder desolate, foreign" burying
ground before another steamer comes.
But all who can be packed in, law or no
law, get aboard, and glad farewell is
hurled at this fascinating fearful land.
We need not describe the Pacific" pas
sage-beautiful islands, pleasant breezes,
wasting hot Acapulco, sharp-breathed Cape
st. Lucas, smoking Colima, wistful gazing
at the long ranges of CALIFORNIA; shores,
the exhilarating west winds, the famous
"Golden Gate" the fort and Alcatraz, the
anchorage, and then, the feet of boats
carrying us to the shore, and the shout
from hundreds of Threats as our feet press
at last the soil of golden California.
Cost of the Trip.
Tho idao thot tho President 10 q no a.,